How to Kick a Ball
Use a good ball., Find your kicking foot., Practice your approach steps., Plant your non-kicking foot beside the ball., Swing your kicking leg forward., Use the top of your foot for shots and the side for passes., Follow through.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use a good ball.
Whatever you're playing, even if you're just goofing around with your friends and not playing an organized sport, you should make sure your balls are inflated to the proper specifications, and that you're using the right kind of ball.
Kicking a well-inflated ball is important to keep the ball from getting wrecked and your foot from getting bruised.
Soccer balls, kickballs, footballs, and foam-style Nerf balls are all appropriate for kicking off the ground.
You can use this to take shots, American football kickoffs, and other plays in sports that involve kicking a round or oblong ball off the ground.
Do not kick basketballs. -
Step 2: Find your kicking foot.
When you kick a ball, most of the time you'll want to do it with your dominant foot, usually the foot on the same side of your body that you write with.
This is your kicking foot and the other foot is your plant foot.
Practice on your non-dominant foot too, to become a better kicker.
Even if you’re not playing an organized sport, being an ambidextrous kicker is a cool trick.
For soccer especially, learning to kick with both feet is desirable. , Taking a few pre-kick steps helps to increase the power behind your kicks as well as your accuracy.
Learning to coordinate your steps, plant your foot, and approach the ball properly is one of the most important parts of kicking a ball.
Using the right technique will always allow you to kick a ball farther than a super-strong leg.
To approach the ball properly:
Lead with your non-kicking foot.
Take a few steps back from the ball and step toward it with your non-kicking foot.
Take one more step with your kicking foot, lining it up behind the ball.
Your last step will be with your non-kicking, or "plant" foot, just beside the ball you're about to kick.
A common mistake a lot of kickers make is taking too many steps back to kick the ball. 15 steps won't give you more power than three, if you use the right mechanics, but it will make it more likely that you'll stumble, or whiff the ball. , Your other foot should be planted a few inches to the side of the ball you're about to kick, with your kicking leg cocked back behind you and ready to strike.
Plant your foot forward to keep the ball low.
If your plant foot is slightly ahead and to the side of the ball, you'll be able to put lots of power behind your kick, and it'll stay low to the ground.
Plant your foot behind the ball to chip it up.
If your plant foot is slightly behind and to the side of the ball, you'll be able to put a little more air into the kick, but perhaps slightly less power. , The power from a kick comes from your hip.
Your kicking leg should be cocked back behind you when you plant your other foot beside the ball, and should extend and swing forward simultaneously to make contact with the ball.
Imagine a magnet that connects your foot to the ball, drawing your kicking foot ever closer until you make contact. , Whether you’re kicking a soccer ball or a kickball, the technique may be basically the same, but you’ll need to use a different part of your foot depending on your purposes.
Using the laces on the top of your foot, your toe pointed down, helps you to put power behind it, while the in-step of your foot is perfect for accuracy.
If you want power, kick the ball with the hardest part of your foot, the seam that runs just to the side of your laces.
Point your toe and strike the ball with the top of your foot.
If you want accuracy, use the instep of your foot.
You'll need to rotate your ankle to the side slightly to use your foot as a kind of mallet, striking with the arch on the side of your foot. , Drive through the ball and extend your kicking leg, pointing your toe where you want the ball to end up.
When you're striking the ball hard, it's important to follow through with your kick, rather than stabbing at the ball.
Imagine that you're kicking through the ball, as if you were trying to punch through it, or kick the opposite side of the ball to the one you're actually kicking.
Depending on the kind of kick you’re taking and the power behind it, you might land on your kicking foot by taking a little hop forward and letting your momentum carry you, or you might hop up and land on your plant foot. -
Step 3: Practice your approach steps.
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Step 4: Plant your non-kicking foot beside the ball.
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Step 5: Swing your kicking leg forward.
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Step 6: Use the top of your foot for shots and the side for passes.
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Step 7: Follow through.
Detailed Guide
Whatever you're playing, even if you're just goofing around with your friends and not playing an organized sport, you should make sure your balls are inflated to the proper specifications, and that you're using the right kind of ball.
Kicking a well-inflated ball is important to keep the ball from getting wrecked and your foot from getting bruised.
Soccer balls, kickballs, footballs, and foam-style Nerf balls are all appropriate for kicking off the ground.
You can use this to take shots, American football kickoffs, and other plays in sports that involve kicking a round or oblong ball off the ground.
Do not kick basketballs.
When you kick a ball, most of the time you'll want to do it with your dominant foot, usually the foot on the same side of your body that you write with.
This is your kicking foot and the other foot is your plant foot.
Practice on your non-dominant foot too, to become a better kicker.
Even if you’re not playing an organized sport, being an ambidextrous kicker is a cool trick.
For soccer especially, learning to kick with both feet is desirable. , Taking a few pre-kick steps helps to increase the power behind your kicks as well as your accuracy.
Learning to coordinate your steps, plant your foot, and approach the ball properly is one of the most important parts of kicking a ball.
Using the right technique will always allow you to kick a ball farther than a super-strong leg.
To approach the ball properly:
Lead with your non-kicking foot.
Take a few steps back from the ball and step toward it with your non-kicking foot.
Take one more step with your kicking foot, lining it up behind the ball.
Your last step will be with your non-kicking, or "plant" foot, just beside the ball you're about to kick.
A common mistake a lot of kickers make is taking too many steps back to kick the ball. 15 steps won't give you more power than three, if you use the right mechanics, but it will make it more likely that you'll stumble, or whiff the ball. , Your other foot should be planted a few inches to the side of the ball you're about to kick, with your kicking leg cocked back behind you and ready to strike.
Plant your foot forward to keep the ball low.
If your plant foot is slightly ahead and to the side of the ball, you'll be able to put lots of power behind your kick, and it'll stay low to the ground.
Plant your foot behind the ball to chip it up.
If your plant foot is slightly behind and to the side of the ball, you'll be able to put a little more air into the kick, but perhaps slightly less power. , The power from a kick comes from your hip.
Your kicking leg should be cocked back behind you when you plant your other foot beside the ball, and should extend and swing forward simultaneously to make contact with the ball.
Imagine a magnet that connects your foot to the ball, drawing your kicking foot ever closer until you make contact. , Whether you’re kicking a soccer ball or a kickball, the technique may be basically the same, but you’ll need to use a different part of your foot depending on your purposes.
Using the laces on the top of your foot, your toe pointed down, helps you to put power behind it, while the in-step of your foot is perfect for accuracy.
If you want power, kick the ball with the hardest part of your foot, the seam that runs just to the side of your laces.
Point your toe and strike the ball with the top of your foot.
If you want accuracy, use the instep of your foot.
You'll need to rotate your ankle to the side slightly to use your foot as a kind of mallet, striking with the arch on the side of your foot. , Drive through the ball and extend your kicking leg, pointing your toe where you want the ball to end up.
When you're striking the ball hard, it's important to follow through with your kick, rather than stabbing at the ball.
Imagine that you're kicking through the ball, as if you were trying to punch through it, or kick the opposite side of the ball to the one you're actually kicking.
Depending on the kind of kick you’re taking and the power behind it, you might land on your kicking foot by taking a little hop forward and letting your momentum carry you, or you might hop up and land on your plant foot.
About the Author
Carolyn Lee
A passionate writer with expertise in lifestyle topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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